


SAM >>

by Lyrishadow



Series: Outside the Milky Way [1]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 18:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30126939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: Kaidan Alenko has been landed an enormous choice with enormous consequences. Either way, he has now got a chance to get to know the AI that the Andromeda Initiative has secretly been preparing so they don't hit the ground in Andromeda blind. Sam is the key to fixing the migraines that plague him, but also the key to understanding how everything could work out for the best - if they can get along in the Milky Way.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Female Ryder | Sara
Series: Outside the Milky Way [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2217222





	SAM >>

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side story to my little (now a little bigger) AU about how Kaidan Alenko ends up heading to Andromeda. This is part 1 of this story. Part 2 is coming soon!

SAM?>  
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” ~Lao Tzu

Kaidan Alenko stared at the pamphlet Mathew Alenko had handed to him, Blue and white decorated the cover, Andromeda Initiative something, an old army friend had given his dad to look over. It was an invite to join them.  
“What do you think?” Matthew asked.  
“Looks interesting?” Kaidan was not really interested, though for the sake of his dad he was trying. He had not shown any interest in things since the Normandy had disintegrated over Alchea, killing Carson Shepard. His family didn’t know the private details, not how Kaidan had felt about Carson, but they knew what they had been told over the last year. About the Reapers, and the coming end of the galaxy.  
“Kaidan, if what you said is right. We either fight here or we leave.” His dad paced the floor of the apartment pausing to overlook the bay.  
“Fight or die trying... But Dad this is… this is our galaxy; our home...can we really just walk away?“  
“Your friend was the best hope,” His Dad paused and hefted a sigh “The only hope for a fight.”  
“I know.” Carson Shepard had been everyone’s hope, and he had died. Nothing was more final, more soul scarring than losing him; Kaidan had been confused then, his hero, and his best friend had allowed himself to die. Without a goodbye.  
“So we should plan on leaving.” Mathew Alenko paused looking at his son, hoping for some kind of reaction from him.  
“I…” Kaidan flipped the document over, on the cover the crisp logo of the Andromeda Initiative stared at him. He wondered if this was a chance to escape and start over? A chance to find whatever he was meant to find but find it further than the Milky-way?  
“I spoke to your Mom about this, she thinks it might be the greatest adventure of all of our lives. Kaidan, we are wanting to go; but if you say no we will stay simple as that.”  
“Dad, how can I…how do I make the choice for all of us?” Kaidan hated the responsibility that his family was giving him. Either way could be a death sentence.  
“Go talk to Alec Ryder, he invited you to dinner right?” Kaidan nodded, Alec Ryder had somehow gotten in touch with him; and asked him to meet for dinner.  
“It can’t hurt to talk I suppose.” Kaidan agreed. 

Dinner that night, with Alec Ryder was always going to be a turning point whether he wanted it to be or not, Kaidan presumed, he was going to either come away thinking we can fight the Reapers or come away with a ticket to Andromeda. He had not anticipated Sara Ryder.  
At the door to the restaurant, he saw Alec arguing with a woman, she was very much like him in her stance, so Kaidan knew that this was Sara Ryder, one of the infamous Ryder twins that he had heard rumors of. She caught his attention and he had to stop himself from staring at her.  
“Major Alenko,” Kaidan heard himself called by the older man, “This is my daughter Sara.”  
“Nice to meet you.” Sara looked up at him, her eyes were blue as she studied him, no hint of fear or nerves as she gave a tired smile. “Excuse me, I must go rescue my brother from the hotel’s security office.”  
“Sara.” Alec sighed, shaking his head as his daughter walked away.  
“I’m sorry I interrupted.” Kaidan began.  
“Don’t be, I was never good as a father.” Alec ran a hand over his face and the look he gave in the direction Sara had gone was tired. “It is just showing a lot more these days.”  
They entered the small restaurant and took a seat at the back, the tables were old and the interior of the restaurant was vintage, a dated look common in this part of the city. Vancouver was home, but it wasn’t space, and Kaidan still found himself missing the Normandy and her crew. Things changed though, they had all scattered to the wind, Kaidan hadn’t even been able to find Joker.  
“Must seem a lot different coming back to earth last year, I am sorry about Commander Shepard,” Alec spoke after they ordered steak burgers. “It was a shock to all of us.”  
“He was a good friend. Great Commander.” Kaidan allowed himself a moment and then shook his head “But he’s gone and there are things still moving towards us..”  
“Your parents are interested in the initiative?” Alec neatly shifted the topic towards the Andromeda Initiative, pulling out a file from his bag.  
“So you would be my Dad’s old army friend?” Alec nodded searching Kaidan’s face.  
“We met a long time ago, before the first contact war.” Alec smiled a little “Also Katie Alenko has been making a side business of wine for some time now and my wife, Ellen rather liked the particular type she made.”  
“Oh, yes my Mom is good at that.” Kaidan nodded proudly “She even has her viticulture degree now.”  
“Good, that cements their place in the Initiative.” Alec shifted ïn his seat “But my offer is for you.”  
Alec Ryder was outlining an offer to be second to the Pathfinder, how his current second was good - but he needed better. He needed someone he could trust to be there if things went bad.  
“I won’t lie, I have other reasons.” Alec confessed finally “The project I am working on for the Initiative is complex, but the one I am doing for the human ark is far more complicated than the rest. I suspect my current second is aware of it, but not the extent.”  
This was the exact moment Sara returned. Sliding into a seat next to Kaidan she glanced at her dad. Finally she let out a long sigh.  
"'Scott is definitely getting restless to do something.. he called his boy from the Citadel and caused all kinds of rakus at the hotel."  
"Had they never seen a turian?" Alec asked  
"You would think that." Sara stopped suddenly and glared at her dad.  
"Are you advertising the initiative?'  
“Sort of, Kaidan here comes from a family we have known a long time.” Alec replied, “His father was in boot camp with me.”  
“Oh I see.” Sara frowned “Isn’t Pathfinder’s second Cora’s role?”  
“Wow you really are observant!”  
“I have to be - no-one tlle me anything anymore and my brother gets into way too much trouble for me to just ignore it.”Sara sighed “But really dad?”  
“Cora will cope.” Alec replied “Kaidan is a better candidate.”  
“Maybe.” Sara looked at Kaidan and then her jaw dropped “Ok definitely.”  
“You served with Shepard right?”  
“I… um… yeah.” Kaidan found himself stuttering.  
“Wow, Kaidan Alenko. THE Kaidan Alenko.” She muttered to herself as she took a large mouthful of drink.  
“I guess I am known then?”  
“Known? Yeah you could say that!”  
“Sara, stop making him feel awkward.”  
“Oh right, I forgot, that is your job. Mine is to make people feel a bit better after you have railroaded them into doing something you want them to.”  
“Sara!”Kaidan gasped surprised.  
She turned and grinned at him “The truth is a painful thing.”  
“She isn’t wrong I suppose. She has helped. I can be forceful. However in your case, I owe your Dad a few hundred favours.”  
“Well, Dad, I think the first you can do is help Kaidan.” Sara stated before she stood up “Scott called, wants me to pick up some turian food stuff the lazy boy, sigh, i guess i can help.”  
“Sara?”  
“Yes Dad?”  
“Um, ahem, be careful at night time. The roads and stuff… are dark…” Alec said awkwardly.  
“Sure Dad.” Sara replied, shaking her head and walking away again.  
“She sure is something..” Kaidan murmured.  
“ That she is.” Alec sighed then glanced at Kaidan “So let me help you.”  
“Ok.” Kaidan rubbed his forehead, a damn migraine was coming. “Help me with what exactly? ”  
“You still have migraines?”  
“I… yeah, how did you know?”  
“Ellen had them too.” Alec looked down at his hands “We lost her last year. And.. your Dad told me years ago that you had them.”  
“I am sorry.”  
“Look, come back to my apartment let me introduce you to the project. Then you can decide.”  
“Why me?”  
“You are the same Alenko who stood with Commander Shepard and took down Saren?”  
Kaidan nodded unsure of what about that made him important.  
“Major you are a remarkable man, your skills are remarkable in combat. I have every report Shepard wrote on you, and you have no idea how much potential he saw. I see it too, to be honest, having read through the reports and meeting you. You don’t strike me as the kind of person who would fail to see the potential in this mission.”  
“I am not Shepard.” Kaidan shook his head, made to just leave then.  
“I am not looking for Commander Shepard, I was looking for you.” Alec reminded him, touching his arm before adding “Ok look, let me help you tonight, I might have a way to relieve the migraines.”  
“Really?” Kaidan wondered at that, this one was aiming to be a few days long letting someone help him might not be a bad idea. “Ok.”

“Sam, this is Mr. Alenko.”  
“Hello Mr. Alenko.” the disembodied voice spooked Kaidan when it said his name  
“What?”  
“SAM is….”  
“An AI….” Kaidan breathed, he was in the presence of an illegal entity.  
“Yeah.” Alec paused, watching Kaidan closely “SAM stands for Simulated Adaptive Matrix”  
“You know they are illegal?” Kaidan had fought the geth before. Had been there when they spoke to Sovereign.  
“I know.” Alec held up his hand to explain “This is strictly confidential, but this is an AI which interfaces with a human, in a symbiotic relationship “  
“You mean through an implant?” Kaidan was a quick study in these things, he had seen the troubles at BaAT from jumping ahead too quickly, but this intrigued him.  
“Yes through an implant, that is the nature of the Pathfinder interface for the initiative.”  
“Interesting.” Kaidan replied, tilting his head “Though there are a lot of risks involved.”  
“SAM here can balance your L2 so you don’t get migraines,” Alec said next.  
“Balance?” Kaidan’s head shot up so he was looking Alec straight in the eyes, which caused Kaidan to flinch from the pain of the lighting in the room.  
“With a modified implant or device I can recalibrate your L2 amp and constantly keep you updated with information which would prevent further issues,” SAM replied.  
“I might..” the pain spiked then and he grimaced. “I don’t know.”  
“I wasn’t expecting you to,” Alec replied pushing a chair and a glass of water to the man. Kaidan fished one of his ever-present meds out of his pocket.  
“Your Dad asked me years ago if there was a way I could help you with your migraines.” Alec added ruefully “I had to tell him, no. This might allow me to help.”  
“So the idea of you and Dad being friends?” Kaidan wondered aloud.  
“Boot camp actually.” Alec replied “The great aggregator of all Alliance personnel.”  
“I see.” The fact was Kaidan did see, his dad had left the Alliance around the time Kaidan was born, and Alec Ryder had stayed in; and somehow over the years became a hero, an N7, and his Dad was well, his Dad. Whatever it was ahead of them, he was starting to think he could do this for his dad.  
“Tell me some more about SAM,” Kaidan said carefully.  
“One better. I want you to take SAM with you, sort of.” Alec half smiled “At least so you two can get to know each other. See if SAM can help you.”


End file.
